Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi presided over a victory parade held in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone to mark the defeat of the Islamic State militants. Kurdish MP Hoshyar Abdullah, who is a member of the parliamentary security and defense committee, warned that the parades and speeches are premature, while ISIS/Daesh is still able to stage attacks across Iraq. Also, the premier was criticized for leaving out the Peshmerga contributions during his victory speech on Saturday; he later added them to the list of forces being congratulated.
Yazidis who have returned to their heartland in Sinjar after the removal of the Islamic State residents still worry about the intentions of those who now control their disputed territory and how they will survive the coming winter. Both Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government claim authority over it, but aid has dried up since Iraq reclaimed it in October.
Aid is also needed in Mosul, where civilians are worried about conditions through the cold winter. Much of the city was destroyed during its recapture.
At least seven people were wounded in recent violence:
In Baghdad, a bomb injured five people.
Shelling by militia forces on Tuz Khormato wounded a man and child.
